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Devasher, Madhavi. Crossing Lines: Cross-Ethnic Coalitions in India and Prospects for Minority Representation. Routledge, 2024. www.routledge.com/Crossing-Lines-Cross-Ethnic-Coalitions-in-India-and-Prospects-for-Minority/Devasher/p/book/9781032504506 This book explains why, how, and where ethnic political parties unexpectedly seek votes from non-coethnics and when voters support non-coethnic parties. It draws on case studies of three Indian states (Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan) and of Indian national elections to demonstrate how differences in party systems impact political party strategies and voter choices. It shows that multipolar party systems encourage political parties to provide physical security, representation, and economic benefits for minorities, especially Muslims, in India and as a result, foster cross-ethnic links between parties and voters. However, as political arenas become dominated by two or even one party, advocacy for the interests of marginalized groups declines, weakening cross-ethnic linkages. The book thus explains why representation and advocacy for Muslims in Uttar Pradesh and at the national level has alternated dramatically in the 21st century. Based on original fieldwork and supplemented by existing surveys and secondary sources from the 1990s to the present day, the book addresses critical themes such as inclusion and substantive representation in a democracy, caste and minority politics, ethnic violence, and inter-ethnic linkages between politicians and voters. Demonstrating why political parties support and protect the interests of marginalized ethnic groups in certain political conditions but not others, the volume also speaks to larger questions of the health of multiethnic democracies and democratic backsliding around the world. Devasher, Madhavi, and Elena Gadjanova. “Cross-Ethnic Appeals in Plural Democracies.” Nations and Nationalism, 27:3 (2021): 673–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/nana.12686 (open access) Whether and how parties reach across ethnic lines matters for the quality of democracy, the state of interethnic relations and substantive minority representation in plural societies. Existing explanations have focused on how politicians facing electoral incentives to seek broader support attempt to either redefine or transcend ethnic identities, but have overlooked the various ways, in which candidates from one ethnic community often directly address the ethno-political interests, concerns and demands of other communities whose votes are being courted. To address this gap, we introduce the concept and develop a typology of cross-ethnic appeals in plural democracies. Drawing on primary research in India and Kenya—two countries with salient ethnic divisions and ethnic party systems—we show that cross-ethnic appeals are common, follow the logic of our typology, and can result in increased resources and representation for some electorally pivotal minorities, even going beyond what coethnic politicians have offered. The article contributes to the emerging academic literature on how parties foster cross-ethnic linkages in plural societies. Our argument has implications for ethnic boundaries, the structure of political cleavages and the substantive representation of minorities in multiethnic states. Devasher, Madhavi. “When Favoritism Fails: The Politics of Cross-ethnic Voting among Muslims in India.” Ethnopolitics, 19:5 (2020): 433-458. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449057.2019.1594558 In a political system characterized by strong loyalty to coethnic politicians and parties, why do some voters support a non-coethnic party? Scholars theorize that voters support coethnics in order to access patronage benefits. However, for some groups, particularly minorities, coethnics may never win power, forcing voters into a second-best choice. I examine the factors that shape that choice, and the choices that voters make. This paper shows that voters are more likely to support non-coethnic parties when such parties use direct outreach to overcome credibility concerns and when their chances of victory are high. |
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